listen and verbally respond to Robert McCloskey's story "Blueberries for Sal,"

research bluberries using pre-selected websites,

write a letter to Sal including facts about blueberries,

share their letter with their partner,

create a Venn diagram comparing blueberries and another fruit, and

choose, copy and paste a chosen blueberry recipe from the web into MS Word, cite the web source, and write why they chose the recipe.

Learners

Since I plan to be an elementary school librarian in New Jersey, I created this lesson with New Jersey second graders in mind.

Though this lesson is geared toward 2nd grade students, it could be adapted for 1st grade students. For 1st grade students, adult or older student helpers would need to read materials aloud (fewer Internet links could be selected), and the products could be handwritten by the students.

Prior to beginning this webquest, the teacher should review all pages of the webquest and should explore all of the provided Internet links and examples.

If you do not wish to use the provided product examples, you could model the letter creation process or the venn diagram process right in fron of the students and create product examples of your own. I find it is most helpful when students are provided with examples.

At the very minimum, students need the basic ability to read, write, draw, use the computer and click on hyperlinks. You will note that I have given options throughout the WebQuest - you can decide whether or not you would like to ask students to use the suggested technology or to handwrite their products.

If the following areas haven't been covered in class already, students will need mini-lesson instruction in:

Using the computer, clicking on Internet Links, using the "back" button

Taking notes from what is read on the internet

Letter writing and the five parts of a letter

Using KidPix or Stationery Studio and printing out the work

Using Kidspiration to create a Venn diagram
(Open Kidspiration and choose “Activities: More: Venn Diagram” to get started creating your diagram. When you are finished, print out your diagram.)

Copying and pasting into Microsoft Word, citing the source (What are URLs?), and printing out the work

Curriculum Standards

New Jersey Curriculum Standards

NJ First Grade Language Arts
Standard 3.1 G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
1. Demonstrate ability to recall facts and details of text.
3. Make inferences and support them with textual information.
5. Respond to text by using how, why, and what-if questions.

3.1 H. Inquiry and Research2. Read a variety of nonfiction and fiction books and produce evidence of reading.
3.2 A. Writing as a Process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, postwriting) 1. Generate ideas for writing: hearing stories, recalling experiences, brainstorming, and drawing.
2. Observe the modeling of writing.
4. Use sentences to convey ideas in writing.
5. Maintain the use of a basic writing process to develop writing.
7. Compose readable first drafts.
8. Use everyday words in appropriate written context.
11. Participate with peers to comment on and react to each other’s writing. 13. Use computer writing applications during some parts of the writing process.

3.2 B. Writing as a Product (resulting in a formal product or publication)
1. Produce finished writings to share with classmates and/or for publication.
4. Write nonfiction pieces, such as letters, procedures, biographies, or simple reports.

3.2 D. Writing Forms, Audiences, and Purposes (exploring a variety of forms)
1. Create written texts for others to read.
2. Generate ideas and write on topics in forms appropriate to science, social studies, or other subject areas.
4. Use reading and technology to support writing.
5. Write in a variety of simple genres to satisfy personal, academic, and social needs, such as letters, plays, procedures, biographies, or simple reports.

3.3 A. Discussion (small group and whole class)
1. Elaborate on experiences and ideas.
2. Begin to stay focused on a topic of discussion.

NJ First Grade Technological Literacy Standards
(By the end of 4th Grade, students will…)
8.1 B
Information Access and Research
5. Recognize the need for accessing and using information.
6. Identify and use web browsers, search engines, and directories to obtain information to solve real world problems.
Problem Solving and Decision Making
9. Solve problems individually and/or collaboratively using computer applications.

Science First Grade Science Standards
(By the end of 4th Grade, students will…)
5.1 B. Inquiry and Problem Solving
1. Develop strategies and skills for information–gathering and problem-solving, using appropriate tools and technologies.
5.5 B. Diversity and Biological Evolution (Before
1. Recognize that different types of plants and animals live in different parts of the world.

Consumer Family and Life Skills Standards
(By the end of 4th Grade, students will…)
9.2
A. Critical Thinking
1. Recognize and define a problem.
2. Plan and follow steps to make choices and decisions.
3. Identify and access print and non-print resources that can be used to help solve problems.

B. Self-Management
3. Accept criticism and respond constructively.
C. Interpersonal Communication
1. Develop positive social skills to interact with others.
2. Select and use language appropriate to the situation.
3. Develop skills for accepting self and others through awareness of different cultures, lifestyles, and attitudes.
5. Work cooperatively with others to accomplish a task.

Process

Though this WebQuest could be completed within 2-3 days, the time necessary to complete this WebQuest will vary based on the ability of the students and the requirements of the teacher. The teacher may need to spend extra time on the letter writing process (e.g, the five parts of a letter, creating a draft or organizing ideas with the help of a tool such as Kidspiration, proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation). Or, the teacher may need to spend extra time modeling how to gather information from Internet pages.

Mini-lessons that could be included throughout the completion of this WebQuest:

Keyboarding

Using KidPix or Stationery Studio and printing out the work

Using Kidspiration to create a Venn diagram
(Open Kidspiration and choose “Activities: More: Venn Diagram” to get started creating your diagram. When you are finished, print out your diagram.)

Letter writing

Copying and pasting into Microsoft Word, citing the source (What are URLs?), and printing out the work

Process 1
Before beginning, introduce the lesson briefly and describe briefly how the WebQuest lesson will be organized. Then, dive right into completing the KWL Chart with your students. You can use Inspiration or Kidspiration to create this chart, or even Microsoft Word. Leave the KWL chart on the projected screen, or provide your students with a copy of the KWL Chart so that they can see what questions they would like to answer throughout their research.

Read the "Blueberries for Sal" story aloud, and discuss it with your students. Here you may wish to tie in reading comprehension or discussion activities such as those found here.

Divide the students into pairs - you know who works best together! I much prefer assigning students - that prevents someone from being the "last chosen."

Provide students with pencil, pens, and paper. Go over how they are to use the Internet, model how they should "share the mouse," say if there are any time limits, and how they are to print things when needed.

Process 2You may need to model the use of Kidspiration here - how to create a Venn Diagram.

Process 3
Again, you may need to model the use of MS Word and how to copy the Internet address onto their recipe.

Collect their papers and bind them into a class cookbook - it can be something as simple as pages stapled between two decorated sheets of construction paper "covers." That might be an excellent task if you find two students who have finished early - ask them to create the cookbook cover by either drawing or using technology.

Complete the KWL chart with your students.

Read the chosen recipes to your students from the book - or bring them up on the internet and show them on the projector, and ask students to vote for their favorite recipes. You may need to ask another teacher or older student to pick the "top 3" and then narrow down from there.

Once the favorite has been chosen, enlist the help of the classroom parents to make the recipe for your students and throw a "blueberry party!" Ask parents for ideas to make it as interesting and fun as possible.

Ideas for additional activities and books to read are in the "Resources" section below.

Finally, complete the student evaluations using the rubric included.

Resources

Adult helpers are recommended so that the students can have assistance in reading the Internet materials.

Required materials for this WebQuest:
- Teacher/Class "KWL chart" (could be done using Kidspiration)
- Access to one computer (with internet) for every 2 students.
- Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
- Paper for note-taking
- Pencils
- Printer and printer paper
- Software for Creating letter - KidPix, Stationery Studio, and MS Paint (tutorial here) are some examples
- Microsoft Word
- Software for creating venn diagram: Kidspiration
- Ideally, a teacher computer attached to an LCD projector so teacher can model the WebQuest process in front of the class (perfect for showing the VIDEO at http://www.blueberry.org/video.htm#)

If not using technology, students could draw/handwrite all of their products using:
- pens/pencils/markers/crayons/paints
- construction paper
- lined white paper

Additional activities/adaptations for this WebQuest

1. **Interactive** - Ask students to create a simple word search using the Discovery School Puzzle Maker. (Examples of puzzles can be viewed here.) They could choose five words from their letters to Sal, create and print the word search, and then swap the word search with their partners.

2. **Interactive** - Enter the chosen recipe into the "Nutrition Analyzer" at http://www.nutritiondata.com, read the recipe's nutritional information for the students, and talk about whether the chosenrecipe is nutritious or not. Caution - this is a tricky site to navigate!

3. **Interactive** - Compose an email as a class and send it to a agricultural expert/farmer or nutrition expert at AllExperts.com. These professionals are required to reply in a timely manner, as they are rated on the quality of their response! This is a totally free service! Kids get a kick out of contacting the "outside world." You should receive a reply via email within 2 days.

4. Before beginning the WebQuest, but after hearing the story, students could be asked to write a paragraph in response to the story using the "Journal Writing" cues found here.

5. Do the sequencing, capitalization, and punctuation activity found here.

6. Act out the story, assigning roles similar to those found in "The Mitten" Webquest (see "Process - Step 5").

The blueberry train
C.L.G. Martin ; illustrated by Angela Trotta Thomas.
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c1995.
A young boy wants to go to pick blueberries all by himself to prove to his mother that he is not a baby any longer.

The mouse family's blueberry pie
by Alice P. Miller ; illustrated by Carol Bloch.
New York : Elsevier/Nelson Books, c1981.
While Steven Mouse learns to bake a blueberry pie, Ella Mouse is busy in the family workshop.

Blueberry pie
Pictures by Richard Floethe.
New York, Scribner, c1962.
A young boy sets out from his farmhouse to pick blueberries on a hot August day.

The blueberry troll by Tricia Springstubb ; pictures by Jeanette Swofford.
Minneapolis : Carolrhoda Books, c1981.
A greedy, lazy troll with a passion for blueberries terrorizes the townspeople until a litte girl thinks of a plan.

Blueberries for the Queen
John & Katherine Paterson ; illustrated by Susan Jeffers.
[New York] : HarperCollins, c2004.
In the summer of 1942, when Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands lives down the road from his family's house in Massachusetts, young William decides to take her some of the blueberries he has picked. Includes historical notes.

Five sweet blueberries
by Megan E. Bryant ; illustrated by SI Artists.
Cataloging in Publication
New York : Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.
Blueberry Muffin and Strawberry Shortcake pick blueberries and bake a pie that they can share.

Evaluation Rubric

This rubric is by no means meant to be exclusive or exhaustive. Teachers may wish to evaluate student's ability to use technology and/or work independently without lots of teacher assistance, as well as the level of pride shown by the student in completing his/her work diligently and well.

Beginning
1

Developing
2

Accomplished
3

Exemplary
4

Score

Class participation

Student was not able to contribute to class by listening well, offering ideas and/or asking questions.

Student worked well to contribute to class by listening well, offering ideas and asking questions some of the time.

Student contributes to class by listening well, offering ideas and/or asking questions most of the time.

Student proactively contributes to class by listening well, offering ideas and asking questions almost all or all of the time.

Drawing shows recognizable detail

Drawings show minimum of detail, but are recognizable.

Drawings show some detail and appropriate coloring for the scene depicted.

Drawings show detail and coloring appropriate to the scene depicted.

Drawings show detail and coloring appropriate to the scene depicted.

Student handwriting is readable and demonstrates appropriate use of capital letters and punctuation. (*NOTE: Adapt this if using technology for letter writing)

Student handwriting is readable and has appropriate spacing between words.

Student handwriting is readable, correctly spaced and shows some correct usage of capitals and punctuation.

Recipe includes web address, recipe text, names of students, and sentence stating why it was chosen.

No recipe was handed in.

Only the recipe was handed in.

Recipe includes recipe text, names of students, and web address.

Recipe includes recipe text, names of students, web address, and sentence stating why it was chosen.

Student worked well with partner by cooperating, sharing ideas, contributing ideas, and speaking kindly.

Student was not able to cooperate, share ideas, contribute ideas, or speak kindly to their partner.

Student worked well with partner by cooperating, sharing ideas, contributing ideas, and speaking kindly some of the time.

Student worked well with partner by cooperating, sharing ideas, contributing ideas, and speaking kindly most of the time.

Student worked well with partner by cooperating, sharing ideas, contributing ideas, and speaking kindly all of the time.

Conclusion

This WebQuest is meant as a engaging way to bring together children's literature, age-appropriate Internet resources, children's software, and a fun culminating cooking activity/party. This WebQuest is largely Language Arts-based.

I welcome all comments and/or suggestions! Please do not hesitate to contact me at seley@indiana.edu.